Lens fixture rescheduled to allow PSG recovery time for Liverpool Champions League encounter.
Ligue 1 has rescheduled the title match between Lens and Paris Saint-Germain originally planned for Thursday, allowing PSG additional time to prepare for their Champions League quarterfinal against Liverpool next month.
Initially scheduled for April 11, the Lens-PSG fixture was positioned between the two quarterfinal matches PSG will play against Liverpool—one at home three days prior and the other away three days later.
The match will now take place on May 13, which is situated between the final two rounds of the French championship. Ligue 1 is currently experiencing a competitive title race, with Lens trailing PSG by one point while having played one additional match.
Strasbourg’s match at Brest on April 12 was also postponed by the league organizer (LFP) due to its timing, which coincided with Strasbourg’s Conference League quarterfinal against Bundesliga side Mainz.
The LFP stated in a release that its board of directors “unanimously decided” to grant the requests from PSG and Strasbourg, noting that the decision—made without needing Lens or Brest’s approval—was taken in the broader interest of French football.
“These decisions align with the strong strategic direction of the board of directors to ensure France maintains its fifth position in the UEFA [coefficient] index, which allows for four spots in the UEFA Champions League,” the LFP remarked.
Lens strongly opposed the rescheduling of the match, asserting in a statement this week that Ligue 1 was being diminished “to accommodate the European aspirations of certain parties.”
However, the league has a precedent for such actions. It assisted Marseille two years ago by moving a match against Nice due to Marseille’s Europa League quarterfinal against Benfica.
Lens president Joseph Oughourlian expressed on a LinkedIn post prior to Thursday’s decision that he had “few illusions” regarding the outcome.
Lens director Benjamin Parrot questioned whether PSG’s request would have been made under different circumstances.
“Would this same discussion occur if PSG had a 15-point advantage? Perhaps they would simply rotate their squad,” Parrot commented to L’Equipe newspaper on Wednesday.
“The LFP, in general, compares itself to England, Italy, Spain, and Germany, but none of those leagues operate in this manner.”
Lens is set to play three matches within eight days during a challenging stretch from April 17-24, facing Toulouse in Ligue 1 and in the French Cup semifinals, followed by a match at Brest on April 24. This game is scheduled for a Friday instead of over the weekend, which would have provided Lens with more recovery time.
Parrot stated that Lens would not request the French league to alter those dates.
“We will manage the series of matches,” he said. “But without the same squad depth. It’s inequitable.”
PSG adviser Luis Campos emphasized the importance of his team’s potential advancement in the Champions League.
“The postponement of Lens-PSG has benefits, not just for PSG, but also for French football,” Campos stated on RMC radio on Wednesday.
“We hold no animosity towards Lens. The objective is to be in the best possible position to represent France effectively in Europe, which is necessary.”
He was alluding to France’s standing in UEFA’s coefficient rankings, which are determined by performance in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.
England has sent a record six teams into the Champions League this season due to a high coefficient ranking, while France’s fifth position is potentially at risk from Portugal.
“The other major leagues are not at risk,” Campos added.
